Flying target



(No Model.)

W. H. URUTTENDEN 8:; M. E. CARD.

FLYINGTARGET.

N0. 356,929. Patented Feb. 1, 1887.

UNITED STATES WILL H. CRUTTENDEN AND MILTON FLYING E. CARD, OFCAZENOVIA, NEW YORK.

TARGET.

SPECIFICATION forming Applicni ion filed J My 6, 1886.

part of Letters Patent No. 356,929; dated February 1. 1887.

Serial No. 207,207. (No model.)

.To aZZ ZUhO'ITb it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILL H. Genrrnr- DEN and :MILTON E. CARD, thecounty of Madison, in the Stateot New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Flying Targets, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompany ing drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to the class of flying targets which are composedof a concavo-convex shell, either of fragile material, which is easilybroken when struck by a shot, or of metal with a signal connectedtherewith .in such a manner as to be thrown into View when the shell isstruck by a shot. This class of targets are designed to sail in ahorizontal position and with a whirling motion through the air, and toimpart to them capability of such motion the center of the target mustbe as light as possible. The result is that when the thin and frailcenter of the target is struck by a shot such shot will penetrate thecenter of the target without breaking or tearing therefrom anyperceptible fragment, and consequently such a shot is not accredited tothe marksman.

The metallic target has its sailing quality impaired by the incumhranceof the extra sigo nal connected therewith.

In an attempt to obviate the aforesaid defects, flying targets with thecenter piece weakly attached thereto have been formed of one and thesame brittle or fragile material, and said center piece was made ofsufficient thickness to prevent its breaking when hit by a shot, andcause it to be knocked completely out of the shell of the target. Thislatter con strnction, however, has also its defects in that o theincreased thickness of the center piece adds too much weight to thecenter of the target, and thereby impairs its sailing quality.Furthermore, in such targets the edges from which the center piece isdisrupted are left so rough or dentic-ulated as to render it exceedinglydifficult to reset the center piece in the shell for future use.

Our invention is designed to obviate all of the aforesaid defects, andat the same time provide a flying target which shall have its centerpiece adapted to be easily reset in the of Gazenovia, in

shell after it has been knocked out of the same, and thus render thetarget capable of repeated use; and to that end our invention consistsin the novel construct-ion of the target, as hereinaftor fullydescribed, and specifically set forth in the claims.

The invention is fully illustrated in the annexed drawings, whereinFigure 1 is a plan View of our improved flying target. Fig. 2 is atransverse section thereof, and Fig. 3 is a detached plan view of thecenter piece of the target.

A represents the annular concavo convex an y of the usual well-knownfragile materials or compositions which easily break when struck by ashot. This shell we form with a central opening, 0, and across thisopening we place a horizontal disk, D, of tin or other light andinfrangible material, which disk spans and closes said opening, and isweakly sustained in its position by a seat formed immediately around theopening.

The attachment of the disk we prefer to make by providing the disk withnarrow marginal flanges a a, turned up at right angles therefrom, andwith intermediate lips, 11, projecting from the edge of the disk and inthe same plane therewith, the disk being inserted into the opening 0from the concave or inner side of the shell, against which latter thelips Z- l are made to rest, while the flanges a a, abut against the edgeof the opening 0, and by the frictional hold of the latter the disk isprevented from dropping out of the opening 0 toward the concave side ofthe shell. We do not, however, limit ourselves to the afore said methodof inserting the metal center piece into the shell, inasmuch as theformer may be attached by molding the shell around the metal centerpieces.

In order to prevent the shot from glancing on the disk when striking thesame at an acute angle, we press into the disk grooves o c, which arrestthe shot and the disk from the shell. The marginal flanges a a formoutward projections along the junction of the disk with the shell, whichprojections also serve to arrest the shot in its glanding on the disk,and either cause the shell to be broken or the disk to be knocked out ofit insurethe dislodgment of shell of a target, which shell is composedof It will be observed that the described metal disk does not presentsufiicient resistance to the shot to cause the disk to be injured whenstruck, and it can readily be applied to another shell, A, provided withthe opening 0, and thus permit of its being used repeatedly.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A flying target composed ofa fragile shell provided with a centralopening and an infrangible disk spanning said opening and sustainedtherein by a frictional hold of the marginal portion of said disk on theedge of the central opening of the shell, substantially as set forth.

2. A flying target composed of afragileshell provided with a centralopening and an illfrangible disk spanning said opening and weaklysustained therein by flanges projecting from the disk and abuttingagainst the edges of the opening, substantially as described and shown.

3; A flying target composed of a fragile shell having an infrangiblecenter and an outward projection around the center at its junction withthe shell, substantiallyasa-nd for the purpose specified.

4. A flying target composed of ashell of fragile material provided vwitha central opening 30 and a sheet-metal disk spanning said opening andweakly sustained therein and having grooves pressed in it, substantiallyas set forth and shown. a 1

5. In combination with the fragile shell pro- 5 vided with a centralopening, the sheet-metal disk D, spanning said opening and havingflanges a aabutting against the edge of the opening, and lips ll,engaging the concave side of the shown.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names and affixed ourseals, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Gazenovia, in thecounty of Madison, in the State of New York, this 2d day of July, 1886.

WILL H. CRUT'IENDEN. L. 8.] MILTON E. CARD. L. s.]

Witnesses: l

JOHN W. HowsoN, W. L. AREMUS.

shell, substantially as described and 0

